Vedic Houses (Bhavas)

Understanding The Houses in Vedic Astrology

In Vedic astrology, the houses are known as bhavas or fields of action where the different areas of life are highlighted. Houses join the planets and signs as the building blocks on which chart analysis derives.

The houses are directly related to the time of birth. The first house (lagna) holds the point of the zodiac that is rising on the eastern horizon at birth.

The lagna, or ascendant, is the single most important indicator in Vedic astrology of the charts potential. The 12 houses are usually divided equally throughout the day which means every 2 hours a new ascendant will rise.

1st House (Lagna)

“Why are we here? To become ouselves in You.”

—Kabir

The Lagna,which is the first house, represents the self, body and personality. We find important clues about a person by examining both the sign that the first house is placed in and the planet that rules the sign.

The planet that rules the first house, often referred to as the Lagna Lord , is of paramount importance. A strong Lagna Lord is essential in fulfilling the potential in a chart. A strong Lagna and Lagna Lord can also help us deal with potential difficulties existing in a chart.

2nd House (Dhana Bhava)

“Banish unkind words from your lips forever, and make your home life safe from trouble. Sincere, sweet words are nectar to thirsty souls. They are in demand everywhere.”

—Paramhansa Yogananda

Dhana means wealth and the second house represents acquisition and finances. This house can reveal inheritance and acquisition of metals, and gems. The second house also indicates our values; both material and spiritual. Dhana Bhava also shows family relationships and our extended family. The second house reveals past life connections, particularly within the family.

The second house also rules the face, including the chin, mouth, teeth and tongue. It governs what goes into the mouth which means it rules over the quality of the food we eat. The second house also rules what comes out of the mouth, which means it governs our speech and can indicate whether or not we are truthful. Eyesight and vision also belongs to Dhana Bhava.

3rd House (Bhatru Bhava)

“Everything in future will improve if you are making a spiritual effort now.”

—Swami Sri Yukteswar

“Sastisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory.”

—Mahatma Gandhi

The third house shows indiviual self expression and the effort we put out to accomplish things. This house can reveal talents in writing, music, acting and painting - any form of creative expression. The third house also reveals our courage, hobbies and passions.

This is a house of communication and also governs short journeys. Research, lecturing and sales fall under the third house's domain.

The third house also represents our brothers and sisters and our relationship whith them. It governs our immediated environment as well as our friends, colleagues and neighbours.

4th House (Matri Bhava)

“Home is where the heart is.”

—Pliny the Elder

The fourth house represents our home and can reveal our state of mind and inner feelings. Matri means mother, and this house expresses our relationship to the mother. Our sense of being nutured and supported is also seen here. Benefic planets, such as the Moon or Venus, can indicate contentment and happiness when placed in the fourth house.

The fourth house governs education. This house also shows our fixed assets; such as vehicles, houses and real estate.

This a moksha house and an interest in self-realization and spiritual enlightenment can be expressed through this house.

5th House (Putra Bhava)

“Since new developments are the products of a creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and encourage that type of mind in every way possible.”

—George Washington Carver

The fifth house is a house of creativity and governs education, entertainment and artistic talent. Physically, the creative energy of this house can manifest as our children. Putra means son in Sanskrit, even though in this case it indicates children as a whole. The ceative energy of the fifth house gives birth to new ideas, and the "children" revealed can also manifest as creative endeavors.

The ceative mind is intuitive and can sometimes perceive the future. The fifth house is a house of "purva punya", which translates as past good deeds. This is an auspicious house and can give good fortune and luck due to previous good karma.

The fifth house is a house of dharma. This house governs spiritual tools and techniques for achieving greater awareness, including the use of mantra, meditation and the reading of spiritual texts.

6th House (Ari Bhava)

“The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ouselves strong.”

—Swami Vivekananda

The sixth house is a house of karmic difficulties. This house shows blocks and struggles that come in our way and prevent us from moving towards our true goals. These blocks can come in the form of ilness, accidents, enemies, competitors or debts.

Positive manifestations of the sixth house can be expressed through the service we give to others. Health and healing also belong to the sixth house. When malefic planets are placed in the sixth house they provide the ability to fight back and overcome problems.

7th House (Jaya Bhava)

“Without God, human love is never perfect.”

—Paramhansa Yogananda

Jaya means victory, it also means wife. Oppostite the first house, representing the self, is the seventh house which represents others. This is the house of partnership. It is a house of passion, desires and attachments. It rules over married life, as well as divorce.

The seventh house governs contacts and agreements. Therefore this is also a house of business and business partners. A career seen in the seventh house can involve marriage counseling or public relations. Since it represents "the other" it also rules over foreigners and foreign travel.

8th House (Ayu Bhava)

“Meet this transient world with neither grasping nor fear. Trust the unfolding of life, and you will find true serenity.”

—Bhagavad Gita

The eighth house is a house of transformation and change. Ayu means life span and this house can reveal our longevity. It governs hidden matters and that which is unknown.

The eighth house is secretive and private. A house of transformation, it can manifest challenges such as divorce, scandals, addictions, sorrows and long term disease.

Intuition is strong in this house. The eighth house rules investigation and research. The metaphyscial, the mysterious and the occult belong to the eighth house. It also rules over income from sources such as alimony, insurance benefits and inheritance.

9th House (Dharma Bhava)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

—Matthew 5:6

The ninth is the house of grace and good fortune. It is considered to be the most auspicious house and can bring sudden prosperity to a person. It is a house of good ethics and a beneficial ninth house reveals positive karma. It governs higher knowledge and dharma (right action). It represents the father.

The ninth house can expand our knowledge and wisdom; through a teacher, through books, higher studies and through travel. Often it will bring a desire fo philosophy and opportunities for higher knowledge.

The ninth house also represents law. A well placed ninth house indicates a person that is rightly guided and receives good advice.

10th House (Karma Bhava)

“Wake up! It is never too late to diagnose your life. Analyze what you are and what your deep-seated work is, so that you can make yourself what you should be.”

—Paramhansa Yogananda

The tenth house represents the action we take in this life in order to fulfill our life direction. Planets get very energized here. The Sun is very strong when placed in the tenth house and will express its natural authority and leadership. Saturn placed in the tenth house can handle responsibility and works will within an organization or structure.

Some see the tenth house as the father. The tenth house can also represent government work, administration and business.

This is the house where we reach the pinnacle of life, it is the culmination of life's ambition. An auspicious tenth house will give a strong carrer, success, honor and recognition.

11th House (Labha Bhava)

“Be happy in the definite accomplishments of small successes, and then you will know how to be a happiness millionaire when, lateryou materialize the big dreams of your life.”

—Paramhansa Yogananda

The eleventh house is a house of gain and fulfillment. Labha means profit. This house not only means monetary profit but indicates spiritual profit as well. All planets do well in the eleventh house and will manifest gain according to their nature.

This house indicates the result of our effort to make money. It is the fruit of our achievements and the realization of our wishes. It repesents social activity, persomal pleasures, older siblings, friends and allies.

This house also involves networking, community, sangha, organizations and societies

12th House (Vyaya Bhava)

“Divine joy comes with self-expansion. Suffering on the other hand, is the fruit of selfishness, of a contractive ego. Joy awakens compassion in the heart. It makes one long to infuse divine bliss into those who are weeping in sorrow.”

—Paramhansa Yogananda

Vyaya means expenditure and this house represents our expenses. The twelfth house is also a house of endings and can bring a sense of loss and sorrow. However this house is also powerful spiritually and is where we find liberation and enlightenment. In the twelfth house we give up our sense of ego in order to merge with a universal and eternal consciousness.

The energy moves inward in the twelfth house, and there can be a need for seclusion, meditation and contemplation.

This house represents places that are worlds unto themselves, somewhat separate from society. These can include retreats, monasteries and places where people heal themselves, such as hospitals or even prisons. Through this house we can also experience a sense of confinement, isolation and loneliness.

The twelfth house can give us the urge to travel to distant locations. There is often a desire to explore the unknown and the foreign.

This house governs the subtle energies we feel but do not always understand. Vyaya Bhava governs clairvoyance, healing, sleep and dreams. Intuition and imagination are strong in the twelfth house, and we often find writers, thinkers, actors and clairvoyants having planets in this house. The twelfth house can also manifest careers involving institutions, organizations, charity and healing. People with planets in the twelfth house can be empathic and they often express a great deal of compassion and generosity towards others.

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